Canopy fixture



Nov. 22,` T927:

1,650,549 G. B. THOMAS CANOPY FIXTURE I Original Filed April 13, 1921 Fgl. 6 Y i 8 7 1,7425 5, 7 5,7 u 3 6! *www z l -g/Zcl/l l I rs ,o WI /6 f3; i "o .i

` lo INVENTOR L G50/wf B TH/YIHS Bv JHM inonmivs Patented Nov. Z2, 1927.

UNITED STA insane eEoneE B. uniones, oE ERIDGEmdrrr,A CONNECTICUT, .assIGNoE `To KII-IE BRYANT-ELEC- EnIc colvirnnxior BEInGEroET,iooNNEGillCUTfAOOEPQEAEION 0E cominGCIJIGUT.l f

caNoIfY FIXTURE .Application led April 13, 1921i, Serial No.4620. Renewed (.)etober 1.2, 1926.

My invention relates ytocanopy fixtures, land particularly to canopy switch installations. The object of my, invention is to provide Aan installation in .which theggswitch 5 structure and mounting are of suchichfaracter that the switch may',.behousedywithinythe canopy without displacement l or `deformation A of 'the i latter.` The s' mechanism of .the switch maybe of any charactenbutl prefer cord of which J passesthrough thegcan'opy. The installation is particularly applicableto 4lighting fixtures, the switchubeing connected "in the lamp circuit to control the latter;` AThe .invention illustrated in the accompanying drawingainwhich F ig.` 1 is a vertical section through portion of a canopy fixture yshowingthe switch housed in one position, within 'the canopy;

u Fig. 2 is a similar'view'showing the switch housedin another position in the canopy; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-,`3,'Fg`. l; Fig.1 4 is a section on the`1ine*4` -.4`, Fig. 2' and fr? i 4: e.. ,Fig 5 is a section `on the line 5555, Fig. 4, "drawnftoalarger scale. `A` lighting fixture installation -isillustrated as typical of the inyention., vAnfinstallation of this character usuallyfcomprises an outlet box 6 through the side opening lin which the wire'main 8 entersLSecured to the base of the boxis the usualfixturestud 9 with hickey l0 andfixture pipe-1 1, through which the wires 12 fandl are led 4fromthe lamp' sockets (notshown) to thel junction box. The latter is provided .with the usual cover 14, the neck @15 of whichfprojects through the plaster 1-6 of the ceilingjrorwall, andl permits access to-the'interioryof the, box for making the necessY connections-"to the wires land 18 of the cable 8.1i f l C Y Surrounding the fixture pipej 11 and secured therein by a set Yscrew 19 is alcanopy 20 of conventional type, which houses-in the v finish to the wall end `of .the fixturei- ".The particular shapel offthecanopy is ofcourse accommodate a switch having suilicientcurrent breakmgcapacityfor use 1ny ra lightlng installation.` Moreoyen 4sv'vitches ofordinarytype are noiequipped Wit?? retable meer@ apull switch, the flexible actuating chain or associate .with lthe switchsuitable for securing it iniixedpositio1i-fwithin the ifuollyf. r i

.` theorm here illustrated, thebody ofthe present switch, 'which has (a generally ovoid shape in plan, and is ofslight thickness in junction box connectionsand inipart'sr a4 for securing the same within a canopy; It

has consequently been customaryto control the j lighting circuit either by "a wall switch To "r'meet this situa ion, I have vdeviseda switch oflsuch contour that it may be ac- "commodated within the canopy, while at the 'same time itsmechanismf` is such that; it can -safely" control the lightingcurrent.` I also jmeans side elevation, comprises a pair of Vinsulating buttons 21 and 22, recessed on their .meetingiaces: to afford a switch` ,cha mber 23. '.Theswitch mechanism mounted within this V 'chambermay be of any. `suitable sort' which will,f "safely control the lighting circuit. That indicated in Fig. 5 is of the general type 'disclosed in the co-pending application 4oit' RenholdtfNo/ltSOA, and 4need not .be

further describedthan to point ,01111 the rotary switch bar 24, its@ actuatingspring 2 5, the rotary spindle 26,1and the -ratchetmem- ,ber 27 with associated pull chain28 for impaIfting'step-by-step rotation to `the switch Vspindle and thus to the-switch bar. Inciruits-closing position the bar 24 spans the switch 'contacts'29 and 30, the offset ends 3l and32 of which are secured to the`button `22*and alfordwire terminals to which the bar ed ends ofpig-tailvleads 33 andare-I` permanently connected-in any suitable way,

` as by soldering.` Thefree ends offthespigytails',@-23'and 34 are led out inopposite directions throughfclosely confining apertures .in

the iside wall' of the button 22, and their ends fare baed to, facilitate connection withV one ofthe s wire mains, 1.8,;` and one of the fixture wires, 112,'thus electrically interposingf` the ls'witchin the lighting circuit. After the pigtailshavebeen connected to the lswitch ter-l "minlals Bland 32, and` thel switch mechanism Y assembled between the buttons,` the latter are permanently secured together by suitable screw bolts 35, the heads and nutsof which farewaxed-'in to preyent ready access thereto.

The button 21 is rovided with a central boss 36 which may e pierced at B7 to permit access to the usual adjustable abutment 38 for the ratchet spring 39. In the area i surrounding the boss 3G VI secure a plurality i' vwall of the canopy., this does not affordy a the switch mechanism.

Iworkmanlike installation. In order' to secure theswitch properly within the canopy, I provide bracket means of any suitablelsort,

adapted to be attached to the switch on the ,one hand, and to the .fixture on the other hand, to hold the switch in fixed position ,within the canopy, and to relieve the latter of any strains incident to the operation of y In the form shown in F ig.'l, the bracket l1 comprises -a piece of strapmetal forked at one end et2`to straddle thegboss" y36, and apertured to receive screws'llti which pass through ythe holes 44 in the forked end of the strap, and enter the tapped rivets 40 to clamp the bracket to the switch',` At, its opposite lend the bracket is offsetat 45 to afford a, securing arm pierced to lit over the hub 46 of tlie stud 9, against which it is clamped by the screwingup o *Y the yliicykey 10.

#clearance between -tlie canopy Wap and the. ,'Switchbody f f .4

4Then a bracket of this type is used, the

ls'witch is held with its nose end project-Av iiiig downward into the narrower area of "theiannulai chamber afforded between Vthe pipe l1 and the canopy 20.- To accommo datethe switch tofthis restricted area, the

"nose of the button 22, (which is faced outward toward 'the canopy wall) is beveledat 4"474 to afford ample clearance between the Ycanopywall and the switch` at this point. For the saine purpose the button 21 (which Y Llies against the pipe 11) is preferably Mgrooved at 48 (Figs. 3 .and 4) at its nose end jto permit the switch to hug the pipe at y Vthis point and thus further increase` the In Figs. 2 and ll I have shown a "modilied construction yof thefbracke't, adapted to clamp upon the fixture pipe l1. "One elem'en't 49 of the bracket is rintegral ywithfthe fork .42 secured to the switch, while thecooperating member 50 of the clamp embraces the pipe, the clamping screws 5l passing Vthrough the offset ends of the bracket ,mein-l bers, and serving'to hold the switch in horizon'talposition. 4The beveled nose 47 ofz button 22 now .permits this portion of the 'switch bodyto enter the restrictedarea affordedbetween 'tlie base of the canopy and the ceiling orwall I1G.

The switch actuating member may bevjof chain type illustrated, I preferably arrange between the buttons 2 1 and 22 at the nose ends of the latter, a double 'funnel-shaped bushing 52, which is clamped in position on lthe assembly of the buttons. I

:To permit the chain to make a free exit from Athe canopy, the latter is punched through' either at its lower end, as in Fig. l, or adjacent its base, asin Fig. 2, and a vguideA bushing 53 secured'tlierein'. The insertion of this bushing is facilitated ifit is formed in two parts, which are assembled with the canopy by inserting one part'intlie vliolepunched inthe canopy, and screwing the other part thereon from the opposite faceof' the canopy wall. `'self-sustained in position by its flared ends.

It will be recognized that whetheri mountred in one position or the other, or in some The bushing is wayotliei than that indicated, the switch is ofsucli construction and contour that it isfreadiily accommodated within the canopy to .one side of its axis, between the pipe `l1 andthe canopy wall, and affords an installation of greatly improved appearance, as;

well as of sound workmanlike electrical construction, adapted to standard canopyconstructions without alteration of: the latter. Various modifications in detail will read ily occur to those skilled in theart, which do not depart from what I claim as my invention. i a

wIclaimf L'An electric switch comprising an insu lating body having?r an e1-:terior'boss,'andY tappeti sockets spaced from said boss, in combination with a supporting bracket engaging said boss and pierced to receive securing screws taking into .said tapped sockets.

2.,- An electricswitch for installation withina canopy comprising a pair of insulating i buttons recessed, on their adjacent faces, terminals and a switchfmechanism housed be- ,ftweeiiffsaidbuttons. pigr tails connected to ,"saidV rterminals 'and 'projecting at spaced pointstlirougli channels formed inv one of ,said buttons, al fleitible `switch operating vinemberlprojecting from the switch chamherv throughY a channel formed between said buttons, together with a supporting?r bracket exteriorly secured to one of said buttons and projecting from the insulating body in the direction opposedfto said switch operating member and -adapted for clamping enga ement with a tubular supporthoused by tie canopy. I f i 3.An electric switch for installation with- .ina canopy comprising a shallow insulating body, terminals housed within said body,

`pigtails connected to said terminals and projecting at spacedpoints from said insulatving.body, a supporting bracket secured to Y,said body and extending therefromv ata point between vsaid pigl tails, in combination any suitable type. lVhere it is ofthe pull- "with a switch mechanism housed Within said body, and a flexible switch operating memer extending from the opposite end of the 4.yAn electric switch for installation within a canopy comprising a pair of insulating buttons recessed on their adjacent faces, means for sealing said buttons in juxtaposed relation, wire terminals, and a switch mech anism housed within said body, pig` tails i0 connected to'said terminals and extending at spaced points from one end ofthe body, a flexible switch operating member extending from the opposite end of the body, and a supporting bracket exteriorly Secured to the body and extending therefrom in a disection opposed to the switch operating member.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE B. THOMAS. 

